For the first time since 2011, Ohio State is set to take on Miami. And for the first time since the Buckeyes beat the Hurricanes in the national championship in 2003, the matchup will be in the postseason.
It was a long 25 days without Ohio State football. But the good news is that it's back, and the Buckeyes have a chance to get back in the win column in the second round of the CFP.
Even with the long layoff, the Buckeyes will be ready to go against the Hurricanes, who beat Texas A&M in the first round of the CFP in College Station on Dec. 20.
The Ohio State Buckeyes play Football today pic.twitter.com/Fh6jAe9TEe
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 31, 2025
Ohio State will play in the Cotton Bowl for the third consecutive season, as the Buckeyes and Miami are set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
As OSU looks to keep its season alive, the Eleven Warriors staff is confident that Ohio State will take care of business against Miami.
Eleven Warriors Staff Score Predictions
Andy Anders: Ohio State 27, Miami 13. “Big days from Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate
generate big plays that Miami won’t find against Ohio State’s defense, which continues to operate at generational levels at the start of a legacy run.”
Chase Brown: Ohio State 31, Miami 14. “Ohio State’s CFP run last season started with the Buckeyes flexing their muscles. The same will happen this year as Ohio State breaks the U, part two.”
Dan Hope: Ohio State 34, Miami 13. “Miami has the talent to keep this game much closer or even beat the Buckeyes, but I’m predicting an angry Ohio State offense turns it up in a big way to start the CFP, just as it did last year after scoring only 10 points in its final game before the CFP. Ohio State’s defense makes multiple red-zone stops to continue the Buckeyes’ streak of holding every opponent under 17 points this season."
George Eisner: Ohio State 28, Miami 10. “The best effort any opponent has had against the Silver Bullets this season yielded just 13 points with a Heisman Trophy winner at the controls. Matt Patricia will bring out the worst in Carson Beck, and if the Buckeyes go back to leaning on their playmakers at receiver for red zone success, this could end up appearing highly similar to the start of last year's CFP run.
Jason Priestas: Ohio State 24, Miami 16. “I’m more nervous about this game than I’ve been for an Ohio State game in a long time. The Canes, perhaps more than any other team in the CFP, have the dudes to beat any team in the field on any given night. They’re also capable of losing to any remaining team in the field (again, perhaps more than any other team left). Wednesday night, Ohio State is the team that makes the fewest mistakes and Mario Cristobal does not get to feast on a Kerry Coombs defense this time as the Buckeyes advance.”
Jordan Raines: Ohio State 24, Miami 13. “We all know what a Ryan Day offense looks like with a few extra weeks to prepare, and this feels like another spot where that advantage shows, even against a talented Miami Hurricanes defense. The “U” is still broken.”
Will Ohio State Cover?
The Buckeyes opened as 10.5-point favorites over Miami following the Big Ten Championship Game. After that number fluctuated a bit over the last week and a half, Ohio State is listed as a 9.5-point favorite over the Hurricanes as of this morning.
All of the 11W staff members believe OSU will beat Miami, but two staff members – Josh Poloha and Jason Priestas – don't think the Buckeyes will cover the spread. That said, those two, along with the others, believe Ohio State will win by at least seven points.
The Buckeyes are 12-1 this season and 10-3 against the spread, Miami, meanwhile, is 11-2 and just 8-5 ATS.
What About the Over?
Much like the spread, the over/under has also fluctuated a bit since it opened at 42.5 points. The total has now dropped to 40.5 as of this morning.
With that, four staff members – Chase Brown, Dan Hope, Ramzy Nasrallah and Poloha – believe that Ohio State and Miami will combine for more than 40 points, while seven have the Cotton Bowl matchup hitting the under.
Ohio State has hit the over in only four of 13 games this season, including hitting the under in each of its last three games. The Hurricanes have hit the under in five of their 13 games this season, including in each of their last two games and three of their last four games overall.
Eleven Warriors House Prop Bets
Let's make the game a little more interesting with a few prop lines set right here by Eleven Warriors. Make your predictions in the comments and compete for bragging rights.
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How many touchdowns will Juian Sayin throw?
- Over 2.5 (-170)
- Under 2.5 (+150)
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How many touchdowns will Jeremiah Smith have?
- Over 1.5 (+150)
- Under 1.5 (-200)
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How many points will Miami score?
- Over 13.5 (-110)
- Under 13.5 (-110)
